New data has revealed which dog and cat breeds generate the most insurance claims, and shared some reasons why these may be the country’s most pampered pets.
Southern Cross Pet Insurance (SCPI) shared data with 1News from the 2025 calendar year, and PD Insurance for the 12 months from July 1, 2025 to June 2026.
SCPI chief executive Anthony McPhail said the company paid out more than $30.2 million across 78,649 claims over that period, for claims ranging from routine vet consultations through to life-saving surgery and emergency treatment.
SCPI said across its more than 65,000 insured pets, dogs averaged $404 per claim, and cats $310 per claim.
PD Insurance said 35.7% of respondents estimated they spent between $1000 and $2000 on their pet per year - excluding vet bills.
Which dog breeds generated the most claims?
SCPI revealed the dog and cat breeds which generated the most claims in terms of overall volume.
It said its top five dog breeds with the most claims were Labrador, Golden Retriever, cavoodle, Miniature Schnauzer, and labradoodle.
Statistics from PD Insurance revealed a slightly different list, sharing the breeds most likely to make an insurance claim based on the proportion of insured pets that claimed during the period.
It said the rankings were adjusted for how many of each breed were insured, rather than overall volume, "allowing fair comparisons between breeds".
PD Insurance's dog breeds with the highest claim frequency were greyhounds, followed by English bulldogs, French bulldogs, rottweilers, and pugs rounding out the top five.
SCPI's top five breeds which were more likely to claim included greyhound, dobermann, boxer, Bernese mountain dog and British bulldog.
"The most prevalent type of claim appears to be for musculoskeletal conditions, followed by lumps, growths and masses," SPCI's Anthony McPhail said.
Which cat breeds generated the most claims?
For cats, SCPI said the domestic short hair breed topped the list for most claims in terms of overall volume, followed by ragdoll, domestic medium hair, unknown cat breed and domestic long hair cats.
Breeds most likely to claim were Russian, British short hair cross, Abyssinian, Devon rex, and exotic short hair cats.
SPCI said these cat breeds tend to experience musculoskeletal, respiratory and alimentary tract conditions.
PD insurance said tonkinese topped its list for cats highest claim frequency, followed by domestic short-haired cross, Bengal, Birman, and domestic long-haired cats.
It said for cats, bladder issues (obstructions/infections), abscesses and bite wounds stand out, with the latter two often linked to fighting.
Why are these breeds among the most expensive?
McPhail said labradors and golden retrievers were among New Zealand's most popular breeds, so naturally they generate a large volume of claims.
He said foreign-body ingestion remained one of the most expensive treatments claimed for, with an average paid claim of $1245.
"They feature regularly in claims involving injuries, foreign-body ingestion and orthopaedic conditions," he added.
For both SCPI and PD Insurance, French and British bulldogs consistently appeared among the most expensive breeds, as they're more prone to spinal and orthopaedic problems such as intervertebral disc disease, which often require specialist surgery. They also can have severe breathing issues.
SPCI said one of its most commonly insured breeds was miniature schnauzers, who regularly represented in high-cost claims involving obstructions, injuries and other medical conditions.
Ragdolls and burmese were among the most common pedigree cats insured and frequently appear in high-value claims as purebred cats often require specialist diagnostics and treatment for complex conditions.
"Some of the most expensive claims included a $15,000 claim for a pomeranian with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia, a $12,110 claim for a french bulldog requiring treatment for intervertebral disc disease, and an $11,287 claim for a ragdoll treated for pneumonia," McPhail explained.
PD Insurance chief operating officer Michelle Le Long said for breeds such as English bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs and rottweilers, ear infections and skin allergies consistently emerge as major cost drivers.
"These conditions may not seem that serious, but they can sometimes result in years of veterinary visits, medications and specialist care.
"A strong pattern we're seeing not just in these cat breeds, but across all top claims for cats, is bite wounds, abscesses and limb injuries. This may be due to dangers cats face when roaming, such as car accidents and fights with other cats or dogs," she said.
She said PD Insurance had noticed "more cat owners creating secure outdoor catio enclosures, so they get that much-needed outdoor time in a safe environment."
Most common reasons pets went to the vet
According to SPCI, the most common reasons for dogs to visit the vet in 2025 were consultations, allergies (hypersensitivity), arthritis, ear infections (otitis), mass lesions, gastroenteritis, and traumatic injuries.
Consultations also topped the list for cats, followed by arthritis, cat-fight injuries, gastroenteritis, urinary tract conditions, traumatic injuries, and hyperthyroidism in older cats.
One labradoodle owner who took part in PD Insurance's Human-Pet Bond Survey said the insurance was a "must have" after their dog had three ear infections, each with a hefty price tag.
"Our dog Trigger ended up with a raging ear infection that went on for months. We had multiple vet visits and specialist appointments.
"Having PD Insurance took a lot of stress away as we could make all the bookings Trigger needed to get her well again. Claiming was simple and reimbursement was speedy. All we had to worry about was Trigger herself," the person said.
Which generation spends the most on their pets?
According to PD Insurance's Generation Pet Survey in 2024, the generation most likely to spend over $3000 is Gen X – with 21.7% of them spending that amount.
Millennials were a close second at 20.3%.
The generation most likely to spend $500–$1000 annually, and least likely to spend more than $3000, were the baby boomers.
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